Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Celatom Mine Expansion Project in Harney and Malheur Counties, OR, 26574-26575 [2012-10679]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26574-26575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10679]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR-65891, LLORB00000-L51010000-GN0000-LVRWH09H0560; HAG-11-0331]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Celatom Mine Expansion Project in Harney and Malheur 
Counties, OR

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Celatom 
Mine Expansion Project and by this notice is announcing its 
availability.

DATES: The Final EIS will be available for public review for 30 days, 
beginning on the date that the Environmental Protection Agency's Notice 
of Availability of the Final EIS publishes in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Notices of Availability of the Final EIS for the Celatom 
Mine Expansion Project will be mailed to individuals, agencies, 
organizations, or companies who responded to the BLM on the Draft EIS. 
Compact discs of the Final EIS are available on request from the BLM 
Burns District Office, 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738, 
phone (541) 573-4400, or email at BLM_OR_BU_Celatom_EIS@blm.gov. 
Interested persons may also review the Final EIS at the following Web 
site: www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/plans/index.php.
    Printed copies of the Final EIS are available for public inspection 
at:
     Harney County Library, 80 West ``D'' Street, Burns, Oregon 
97720.
     BLM Vale District Office, 100 Oregon Street, Vale, Oregon 
97918.
     BLM Burns District Office at the address listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Dragt, Celatom Mine Expansion 
Project, telephone (541) 573-4400; address 28910 Highway 20 West, 
Hines, Oregon 97738; or email BLM_OR_BU_Celatom_EIS@blm.gov.
    Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1 (800) 877-8339 to 
contact the above individual during normal business hours. The service 
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or 
question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during 
normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mining company, EP Minerals (EPM), 
formally known as EaglePicher Minerals, operates a diatomaceous earth 
mining complex (Celatom Mine Complex), approximately 50 miles east of 
Burns and 60 miles west of Vale, Oregon. The Celatom Mine Complex 
currently consists of three open-pit mines: Kelley Field (on BLM-
administered land), Section 36 (on State land), and Beede Desert (on 
private land) in Harney and Malheur Counties, Oregon.
    Existing EPM mining operations on BLM-administered land in the 
Celatom Mine Complex were first described in a Mine Plan of Operations 
(MPO) submitted by EPM to the BLM in 1984. The proposed total Celatom 
Mine Complex MPO area at that time was 1,634 acres. The BLM approved 
the MPO after completion of an Environmental Assessment in 1985.
    EPM stockpiles ore from the Celatom Mine Complex on 35 acres of 
BLM-administered land at the Vines Hill Stockpile Area (VHSA) 
approximately 14 miles west of Vale, Oregon. VHSA is operated under a 
separate MPO that was approved by the Vale District BLM in 1986. VHSA 
is not part of the proposed Celatom Mine expansion being analyzed in 
the current EIS.
    Existing EPM mining operations on private and State land in the 
Project Area, VHSA, and EPM's mill on private land approximately 7 
miles west of Vale operate under current county and State permits. 
During preparation of this EIS, EPM is authorized to continue 
operations within the Project Area on BLM-administered land as approved 
by BLM in 1985, at the VHSA as approved by the BLM in 1986, and on 
private and State lands permitted by county and State agencies.
    In 2008, EPM submitted a new MPO to the BLM for operations on 
12,640 acres consisting of 1,280 acres of State of Oregon land, 1,680 
acres of private land, 8,080 acres of BLM land, and 1,600 acres of 
split estate land patented under the Stock Raising Homestead Act with 
320 acres owned by EPM.
    The proposed MPO area includes mining operations on 1,131 acres of 
BLM-administered lands. The 1,131 acres of BLM-administered land would 
be disturbed through portions of the 50-year lifespan of the mine. 
Exploration, sampling and monitoring will occur on 250 acres of public 
lands. The exploration and sampling disturbances would last for 1-3 
years and then be reclaimed. Monitoring sites will remain active for 
the 50-year lifespan of the mine.
    The remaining 11,259 acres in the MPO area lies between and south 
of the active and proposed mines. Under the MPO this area will be 
largely undisturbed by mining activities except some of the 250 acres 
of exploration, sampling, and monitoring may occur in this area. Exact 
locations will be determined at a later date. Except as needed to 
provide for safety, this area also remains open to most other multiple 
use activities.
    Due to the size of the proposed operations, the BLM determined 
preparation of an EIS is necessary to comply with the requirements of 
NEPA. The EIS analyzes proposed activities on BLM-administered land and 
cumulative effects from proposed activities on State-administered and 
private land, within the project boundary. This Final EIS analyzes 
EPM's proposed MPO as well as mitigation measures necessary to prevent 
unnecessary or undue degradation under 43 CFR part 3809. The proposed 
operations associated with the project include:
    (1) Expanding operations: At the Kelly Field area, expand mining 
operations to 72.5 acres on BLM-administered land; in Section 36 expand 
mining operations on State-administered land; and, at Puma claims, 
expand operations on private land to 5 acres;
    (2) Developing new mining operations on BLM-administered land on 
225 acres at Hidden Valley, 462.5 acres in North Kelly Field, 50 acres 
in Section 25, and 286 acres in Eagle; and, at Beede Desert, 
constructing two new roads to connect Hidden Valley and Section 36 and 
Hidden Valley north to Eagle; and
    (3) Drilling water quality monitoring wells and conducting 
exploratory drilling on 200 acres of BLM-administered land, development 
drilling, sampling, trenching, and bulk sampling on 50 acres of BLM-
administered land within the project boundary. Exploration and 
subsequent trenching and bulk sampling would be conducted to delineate 
boundaries of known ore reserves and to explore for new deposits. These 
activities could occur on BLM-administered lands anywhere within the 
Project Area.
    Activities under the Proposed Action, including final reclamation, 
would be conducted over the course of approximately 50 years. The 
proposed expansion of mining operations and development of new mining 
operations

[[Page 26575]]

in the Project Area include open pit mines, roads within the mine 
operations areas, and other operations such as stock piling and 
ancillary features including service areas.
    A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the Celatom Mine Expansion 
Project was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2008 (73 
FR 53268). Public participation was solicited through the media, 
mailings, and the BLM Web site. Public meetings were held in Burns and 
Vale, Oregon, in October 2008. The Notice of Availability for the Draft 
EIS was published in the Federal Register on April 8, 2011 (76 FR 
19786). Public participation was solicited through the media, mailings, 
and the BLM Web site. A public meeting was held in Juntura, Oregon, on 
April 26, 2011. Major issues brought forward and addressed in the EIS 
include: Air quality; forestry and woodlands; geology and minerals; 
grazing management; land use and realty; migratory birds; noise; 
recreation; social and economic values; soils; special status species; 
transportation and roads; vegetation; visual resources; water quality; 
wetlands and riparian zones; wilderness characteristics; and wildlife 
and fisheries.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses and email addresses of respondents 
are available for public review and disclosure at the above BLM address 
during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through 
Friday, except holidays.
    Comments on the Draft EIS were considered for the Final EIS. 
Substantive comments were incorporated into the analysis presented in 
the Final EIS.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

Jeff Rose,
Associate District Manager, Burns.
[FR Doc. 2012-10679 Filed 5-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P